What is IBPS PO?
The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection Probationary Officer (IBPS PO) 2026 examination is the gateway to a career as a Probationary Officer in India's public sector banks. Conducted in three stages — Prelims, Mains, and Interview — the exam assesses aptitude in reasoning, quantitative skills, and English, along with banking awareness and financial knowledge.
Eligibility Criteria
Bachelor's degree in any discipline. Age: 20–30 years. Candidates must know the official language of the state they apply for.
Exam Pattern 2026
| Stage | Mode | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|
| Prelims | Online CBT | 3 sections | 100 | 60 min |
| Mains | Online CBT | 5 sections + Essay | 200 + 25 | 3h 30min |
| Interview | Personalised | — | 100 | — |
Syllabus Overview
- Reasoning Ability: Puzzles, Seating Arrangement, Syllogism, Inequality, Blood Relations, Coding-Decoding, Direction Sense.
- Quantitative Aptitude: Number Series, Simplification, DI (Bar, Pie, Tabular), Quadratic Equations, Miscellaneous Arithmetic.
- English Language: Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Error Correction, Para-Jumbles, Vocabulary.
- General/Economy/Banking Awareness: Banking History, RBI Functions, Financial Institutions, Government Schemes, Current Affairs.
- Computer Aptitude: Hardware, Software, Internet, MS Office, Networking Basics.
Expected Cut-offs 2026
Prelims cutoff (General): ~45–50/100. Mains (General): ~65–75/200. Final cutoff varies per bank allocation.
Preparation Tips
- Solve at least 30 puzzles and seating arrangements daily.
- Focus on DI speed — aim under 10 minutes per set.
- Read the Economic Times or Business Standard for banking awareness.
- Attempt IBPS PO mock tests under timed conditions every 3 days.
- Revise banking terminology and recent RBI policy changes weekly.
Important Books & Resources
- Arun Sharma — How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT (adapted)
- Arihant — IBPS PO 15 Practice Sets
- Oliveboard — Banking Awareness 2026
- S P Bakshi — Objective English for Competitive Exams
- Kiran Prakashan — IBPS PO Mains Previous Papers
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